RivaMika Week Collection
by Gaia Lao
Summary: My set of submissions for RivaMika Week. *COMPLETE* ...maybe? (Includes cannonverse and a Tron AU.)
1. At the Edge of the Wall

#rivamikaweek Day 1 (Forget-Me-Nots): At the Edge of the Wall

Summary: Mikasa and Levi have a discussion at the top of Wall Rose.

A/N: Hey guys, this'll be my compilation of one-shots for RivaMika week. I apologize ahead of time since most of these will be first drafts (due to time constraints) and therefore no revisions. So let's see what my brain can spit out!

* * *

She dangled a pair of brown-booted legs over the stone parapet of Wall Rose. The full moon hung high above in the midst of the black midnight sky. Tomorrow they would ride out the Karanese gates on yet another expedition. But Mikasa Ackerman could not sleep, despite having to be ready at the crack of dawn.

The raven-haired girl would simply deal with it, like she always did. She stared down at the dark abyss beneath her feet. It looked cold and empty, just like her heart.

Mikasa sighed. It wasn't always like this for her, though. Once there was warmth and happiness, as she spent days at her mother's side while her father was away hunting. The laughter that used to flow freely from her lips was replaced by terse acknowledgements of orders—or scowls depending on who was addressing her.

"You should get some sleep," came a voice from behind her.

Speak of the devil.

"I'm not tired, Captain," she responded curtly, not taking her eyes off the blank scenery below.

"Tch, you will be once we're hours outside the city. And then you'll be useless for fighting titans."

She could hear Levi walk over, and soon enough, she saw a pair of similar brown boots throwing themselves over the ledge beside her.

"What are you doing here?" was her way of asking how he managed to find her so far away from where the rest of the Survey Corps was staying.

His expression not changing in the slightest, he explained, "A few Garrison brats came to report one of our members loitering on their section of the wall. I was the only Squad Leader still awake, so I came to check it out."

"I don't see why they would care," Mikasa said with a shrug. "It's not like I'm a spy for the titans or anything."

"I think they were afraid you would jump."

The half-Asian girl almost snorted in disbelief. Instead, she remained quiet.

"It's happened in the past right before a mission. But once I saw it was you, I knew I didn't have to worry."

Silence reigned between them after that. Neither soldier cared to look at the other.

It was a few minutes before Captain Levi sighed, "So are you going to tell me what _you're_ doing here, Ackerman?"

Mikasa pursed her lips for a second. She honestly didn't remember what compelled her to come out here with her 3DMG in the first place. "Just sitting and thinking, I guess."

"About?"

"About none of your business," she snapped inadvertently.

"Watch your tongue, Ackerman. I'm still your superior officer," he scowled. "Unless you enjoy shoveling horse shit for a year."

Mikasa mulled over what she should say. He'd never been so concerned about what was on her mind before. "Just about my childhood, and the family that I lost." She brought up both knees to hug to her chest. "I miss them so much…"

"At least you weren't raised by a serial killer," Levi mumbled at her side.

She turned her head slightly toward him with an eyebrow arched. That was definitely something she hadn't expected to hear.

"Trust me, it was as bad as it sounds." He rested an elbow on his knee and set his head on his hand. "But the past is in the past now. No matter how happy or how awful, no sense dwelling on it." He finally faced her with those stony orbs of his. "Are you ready to head back yet?"

Mikasa was quick to break eye contact. "I'd rather stay out here for a bit longer, Captain. You can go on ahead."

"I'm not leaving without you, Ackerman. You need to get some rest."

Maybe she should do as he said. She had to be in her best shape to protect Eren. Yet somehow, even if she were in bed, she didn't think she'd be able to fall asleep with her memories on her mind.

"It looks like a blue moon tonight."

The sound of the Captain's voice interrupted her thoughts once more. "Huh?" She looked up to to see him staring at the white disk in the sky.

The dark-haired man continued casually, "That's the name they give the second full moon in a month. It's a rare occurrence. Why they call it a 'blue' moon is beyond me when doesn't look that color." He talked as if their previous conversation had never happened.

"Maybe it's because blue can be a rare color," Mikasa mused aloud. "Like you hardly ever see blue flowers."

"And you hardly ever meet a woman who fights like a hundred soldiers. Doesn't mean that color suits you."

At that, Mikasa's onyx eyes widened.

"In fact," Levi's stormy orbs lowered to meet her own, "I think red fits you better." This time he turned his body fully in her direction. "Even if it's from titan blood, you look amazing in red."

The teenage girl could feel a hot flush coming to her cheeks. "Sir…?"

Apparently realizing what he had just said, Levi averted his gaze and gave a small cough. "Don't mind anything I say right now. I must be tired—which is a damn good reason you should get your ass back in your room and go to sleep."

Mikasa had a hard time keeping down the smile that threatened to spread across her face as she stood up. "Very well, Sir. I'll see you later this morning." With that, she strode to the other side of the walkway and, operating device in hand, prepared to leap toward the buildings below.

Just as she was falling away, she could have sworn she heard the Captain say, "Good night, Ackerman. May you have something else to think about tonight."


	2. En Garde

#rivamikaweek Day 2 (Gladioli): En Garde

Summary: Levi gives Mikasa fencing lessons.

A/N: I really wanted to make this longer, but yeah, time constraints. Also, it's been awhile since I fenced, so I may be remembering some of this stuff wrong.

* * *

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and thousands of raindrops pelted the window every second. A gust of wind made the panes rattle in their frames. The storm outside was so fierce that all outdoor training had been canceled, including 3DMG practice.

While some of her friends were using this opportunity to slack off, since indoor chores had long been completed earlier that morning, Mikasa took this opportunity to work out in the recreation room.

However, when she arrived there, to her dismay, she found it too crowded for her to do any of her usual exercise routines. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she thought she might as well look around before heading back to her room. She usually didn't have a chance to peruse all the equipment available, so she might as well make the most of her trip.

As she passed by the weight-lifting area, she spied a rack she had never noticed before. Hanging on it were various weapons, most of which she recognized: staves, nunchucks, psis… Further down was a collection of practice swords. The wooden ones were shaped much like she would expect, but soon she came across a set that had broad handguards and blades so round and thin, it was a wonder none of them were snapped.

Mikasa stopped in front of these swords and picked one off the rack to examine it. Upon closer inspection, she found the blade more angular as opposed to round, and it was very flexible, but there was no way it could be sharpened to make it useful in battle. Also, the top was blunted and…was that a spring in the tip?

"Taking an interest in fencing, Ackerman?"

Mikasa tightened her grip on the weapon so as not to drop it in surprise. How did Captain Levi manage to sneak up on her like that all the time? She turned to face him with a matching stoic look on her face. "Excuse me, Sir?"

"Fencing," he repeated, jutting his chin in the direction of the sword in her hand. "You looked so intent on studying that foil."

The raven-haired girl couldn't help but let her face fall into an expression of confusion by all the new words he was throwing at her.

Levi caught on quickly. "I see. First time laying eyes on one of these, eh?" He tossed aside the white towel that he had draped around his neck and reached for a matching weapon on the rack.

Mikasa just noticed he was shirtless and was wearing only a pair of workout shorts and foot and hand guards. Even though she should be used to seeing him like this when he trained, it was always hard for her to contain her blush when viewing his bare, muscular build.

"Fencing is a sport consisting of fighting with swords much like these. It used to be popular centuries before the titans appeared." He took a few steps back as he explained, falling into a balanced stance with the weapon comfortably drawn in front of him. "There were three types of swords primarily used. This one is called a foil." With that, he made a few elegant swipes of the blade.

Mikasa couldn't take her eyes off him. His movements were so mesmerizing with their speed and control.

"It was designed to be bendable to prevent injuries and make it harder to break. Normally fencers wear a lot of gear to protect themselves too. This was a sport after all, not combat training." After performing a few thrusts and lunges, he walked back over to the rack and returned the foil to its original spot. "I can teach it to you some time, if you'd like," he offered while retrieving his towel.

Much as she wanted to decline out of sheer defiance, the prospect of learning this sport involving swords intrigued her. So instead she shrugged and replied, "I wouldn't mind. Whenever is best for you."

Tossing the white cloth back over his neck, he nonchalantly asked, "Next time it storms then?"

"Fine with me."

"Don't expect me to go easy on you," he added as he turned to take his leave.

Mikasa rolled her eyes. "You never do, Captain."

* * *

A few days later, Mikasa awoke to the sound of pouring rain and thunder. She instinctively groaned. Great, 3DMG practice was sure to be canceled again. It was still dark outside, so it was hard to tell what time it was exactly. Seeing no point in getting up to get ready for morning exercises, which were sure to be rained out as well, she rolled back over to get some more sleep.

No sooner had she gotten herself comfortable when there was a loud knock on her door. Mikasa nearly jumped out of bed. What idiot would be demanding her attention at this hour?

"Rise and shine, Ackerman," called none other than Captain Levi. "You have a half hour to get ready and meet me in the rec room for your fencing lessons." Soon enough, she heard the sound of retreating footsteps in the hallway.

It took a few minutes for her addled brain to register what he'd just said. After grabbing her clock, she scrutinized it to figure out the time in the dim room.

4 AM, the hell?

Grumbling, she yanked the sheets off of her and stormed out of bed to get ready. This fencing thing had better give her an opportunity to poke that midget's eyes out.

* * *

Mikasa tried to stretch as best she could wearing the musty white outfit the Captain had ordered her to change into for this. It consisted of a pair of short trousers and a jacket that covered most of her body. On top of that, she had to wear a metal vest that went from her torso down to the area between her legs. The gloves she'd been given to use felt so thick and clumsy it was a wonder anyone could have fine motor control of any weapon. But the worst was the mask she was told she would need to don when they actually fought against each other. Not only did it feel stifling, and a bit loose over her head, but seeing through the protective mesh in the front would take some getting used to.

"Let's start with how to hold the foil," Captain Levi said dully, picking one out and and handing it to her. He was dressed similarly sans mask.

Mikasa made one final adjustment to her glove and glared at him. "I think I know how to use a sword," she bit, snatching the weapon from him. She adjusted her grip on the ridged handle until it fit comfortably in her hand.

"You would _think_," he shot back at her. "And it's called a 'foil,' Ackerman. Look, you're already doing it wrong." He moved closer and made a few changes to her finger positioning. Then he altered the angle of the weapon she held before placing one of his own hands over her wrist and the other on her forearm. "Make sure this part always lines up with the crook of your elbow," he pointed out while gesturing with a gloved finger. Next he bent her arm at the same joint to make sure she maintained her form.

The raven-haired girl wasn't sure if she should be embarrassed or indignant at his growing proximity throughout all this. By now, his chest pressed up against her back below her right shoulder as he made more adjustments to her arm. His own right appendage was held parallel to hers while one of his hands guided more adjustments. She could feel his warm breath on her neck while he rattled off advice to her.

"The movements of your blade will come from your thumb and forefinger. Your wrist will hardly be involved with that." He demonstrated by placing his fingers over hers and helping her control the foil.

Mikasa could feel a warmth spreading from her hand up her arm at his touch. His words became mere background noise as all she could focus on was how nice his body felt up against hers. After what felt like too soon, he backed off with an acknowledgement that her form was acceptable, for now.

"Now for the footing," the dark-haired man continued. "Follow my lead, Ackerman."

Mikasa had to shake her head to bring herself back to attention. She copied his positioning exactly and moved with him as he made a few steps forward then back a few feet away from her. His right foot would lead pointing forward, while the left would be turned at a 90 degree angle behind it.

For the rest of the morning, he worked with her on her posture, balance and movements with the foil. They were just starting on lunges when the bell calling the troops to breakfast rang. Mikasa hadn't even noticed the time flying by so fast.

"That's all for now, Ackerman. Meet me back here at 1400. That'll be plenty of time for you to finish your cleaning duties." With that, the Captain left to change and go about whatever business he typically did at this time.

As Mikasa removed her gloves, she couldn't help remembering the warmth that had lingered there from earlier.

* * *

The session later that afternoon, as with subsequent lessons over the next few days, consisted of the Captain teaching her different foil positions and making her practice her lunges. At one point, he taped a cross on the wall and had her practice aiming for different quadrants.

However, after a week of rainy days, he never once fought against her, and it was bothering Mikasa to no end. She wanted to see how she stacked up against that shorty, not spend hours drilling on moves she had already mastered.

So at the beginning of one lesson, before she had even finished putting on her gloves, she insisted, "I want to go up against you today, Captain."

He merely turned from where he stood facing the weapon rack and raised an eyebrow at her. "You still need to work on the basics, Ackerman."

"To hell I do!" she snapped "You didn't have anything bad to say during our last session." Roughly strapping down the second glove, she pressed, "Or are you afraid I'm going to whip your ass?"

Even though he kept the same poker face, Mikasa was willing to bet she struck a nerve. In a controlled voice, Levi stated, "I'd rather you perfect the basics first rather than me having to stop a bout later and point out your flaws, but if you insist…" He snatched one of the foils off the rack and tossed it to her. The teenage girl caught it by the handle with ease. "Put your mask on." With that, he strode over to an open area of the recreation room.

Some soldiers were still working on their chores, so luckily the place wasn't as crowded as the first rainy day Mikasa had set foot in here. The wind still howled outside, though, and the rain beat mercilessly on the walls, so more were sure to flood in later. Better to start this now rather than later.

Shoving her headgear on, she followed but kept a few feet of distance between them. When he stopped to face her, Mikasa fell into a ready position. "Don't forget your target area is the lamé," he reminded, gesturing to the metallic vest. "The rules of foil were based on when men dueled to kill, which means you need to land a touch on this area." He soon donned his own mask. "Your goal for this exercise is to hit me, Ackerman. Once you're ready to attack, call out, 'En garde.'"

Mikasa really wanted to scoff at the formality, but chose to humor him. "En garde!" She had barely finished the phrase when she closed the distance between them and lunged, aiming straight for his heart. Levi easily parried with a side-swipe of his blade, forcing the girl to step back and try again.

Her thrusts with the foil were quick and relentless, but the Captain was able to block every one. Throughout all this, he made no effort to counterattack. Instead, he silently watched her, studying her every action. When Mikasa began to show signs of fatigue, he made his move.

After one particular lunge against him, Levi parried with a twirl of the foil, but at the same time, he stepped forward, sliding his blade upward so the strong lower third met her weaker tip portion. With one quick, forceful motion outward, he caught her off guard and sent her falling on her rear.

Mikasa was sure he could see the daggers she was glaring at him even through her mask. "What the hell?!"

"Your balance was off center after you made that lunge," he coolly explained. "You need to make the proper stance second nature to you. Otherwise, the moment you grow tired, your body won't be able to fall back into the most stable position."

As she scrambled to her feet, Mikasa growled, "Fine, you've made your point. I take it you want me going back to the wall now."

Removing his mask, Levi responded, "Yes. As a matter of fact, I just remembered I have some paperwork to finish up before Erwin's and my trip to town in the morning. So you'll be practicing by yourself for the rest of today and tomorrow if it rains again then."

Mikasa was tempted to chuck her headgear at him for not only embarrassing her but leaving her without another chance at facing off against him. She would have to settle for tossing it aside and training alone. "You'd better be prepared to fight me next time we meet," she challenged.

The Captain let a small smirk form on his face. "I look forward to it, Ackerman."

* * *

Rainstorms soon took on the form of snowstorms as winter fell across the land. Their lessons continued on a more regular basis since there would not be any expeditions in this weather. Mikasa only improved with each session. Both of them soon found that the half-Asian girl's advantage lay in her agility, while Levi's was in his mental prowess and speed.

Eventually their bouts would turn so intense and fast that the Captain had to talk Commander Erwin into judging their matches; it was getting harder for him to tell who landed the touch first.

However, as quickly as winter came, it soon was chased away by spring. Their fencing time grew short and infrequent, until it had to give way altogether to more important titan-killing training.

Mikasa had never realized how much she enjoyed their sessions together until it was too late. Behind their masks, they had become equals—partners in a sometimes endless dance. Now they were nothing more than subordinate and superior officer, one following the draconian commands of the other.

During one unexpected summer storm, though, Mikasa found herself instinctively headed for the rec room. She instantly gravitated toward the weapon rack, now covered in dust and with a touch of cobwebs.

The raven-haired girl wasn't surprised in the least when she heard a voice call behind her, "Suit up, Ackerman. You'd better not have gotten rusty on me."

For once, she let a smile spread across her face. "En garde, Captain. En garde."

* * *

A/N: I know, it got a bit rushed there at the end, but I really needed to wrap it up. So many scenes I wanted to write, so little time.


	3. First Love

#rivamikaweek Day 3 (Apple Blossoms): First Love

Summary: Mikasa reflects on her relationship with Levi after he breaks up with her.

A/N: This may sound old school, but this fic was based on Hikaru Utada's hit song "First Love." It's definitely worth a listen to the original Japanese version. This is Mikasa's POV by the way.

* * *

She had survived the deaths of two families. She tirelessly trained herself day in and day out to protect a boy who didn't see her as more than just a sister. She watched as comrades died, eaten or crushed by titans before her eyes.

But the pain from those could not compare to the one from his words:

"I don't love you anymore."

She should have seen the signs earlier: him distancing himself from her, his increasing irritability toward everything she did, his choice to take up smoking…

As soon as she reached the roof of the castle housing the Survey Corps, she perched herself atop one of the stone parapets. The biting wind, which was already tangling her hair into impossible knots, threatened to freeze her nose off. But the chill did nothing to numb the ache in her chest.

There was a full moon tonight, the first one of the month. Only six more hours before it waned and he set off with Erwin on another of their secret missions. 'Tell me, Levi, where will you be tomorrow?' she bitterly thought. 'Will you be thinking of me, or someone else?'

No, there wasn't anyone else in his heart. She could see it in his eyes when she had asked him if he was leaving her for someone else. There was something he was keeping from her, something that drove him to shatter the special bond they held.

All she knew was that this time tomorrow, she would most likely be crying again from thinking of him, like she had every night since that horrible day. Mikasa almost had to laugh at how pathetic she was. Her, the woman worth a hundred soldiers, reduced to a sobbing mess over the words of one man.

Still, she had to move forward, to keep living her life. She couldn't be tied down by the past forever. Much as she would rather have Time itself end here, she had to keep fighting; there were people counting on her.

And no matter how painful, she would never trade her memories of their happy times together for blissful ignorance. Levi had shown her what love truly was and how to love someone, and she would always be grateful for that.

"Saigo no kisu wa tabako no flavor ga shita…" she began to sing in her ancestors' native tongue before she realized it. _Our last kiss had the flavor of tobacco… _She'd only ever heard her mother sing this sad love song twice before, but it spilled from her lips as if it had been performed only yesterday. The beautiful melody was strangely comforting.

"You will always be inside my heart." The more she sang, the more she realized she still loved Levi and always would, no matter what he did. He was after all, her first real love. She could only hope that he felt the same way.

Maybe one day she would be able to pick up the pieces of her heart and find someone else to love in his stead. Maybe one day, she would find a reason to sing a new, happier song. Or maybe, just maybe one day they could be together again, even if it wasn't in this lifetime.

Until then, she would continue to sing her sad love song…and hope.


	4. In the Blue

#rivamikaweek Day 4 (Daffodils/Narcissus [Rebirth]): In the Blue

Summary: Levi laments the choice he made to leave Mikasa.

A/N: By the way, I tried to make these one-shots to be stand-alone or somewhat interrelated. This fic was inspired by Kouji Minamoto's image song "In the Blue" from Digimon Frontier. He's also voiced by Levi's seiyuu, Hiroshi Kamiya, so you can sorta kinda imagine that being sung by our favorite Captain.

* * *

Levi leaned against the icy stone wall of his prison cell, one leg propped up on the wooden bench he sat upon. It was probably midnight or thereabouts and as usual he couldn't sleep, unlike his dozing Commander on the bunk bed across from him. How the hell Erwin could get a good night's rest in this place was beyond him. It stank of piss and decay and mildew, and no matter how much he tried to clean it with the rags he demanded from his guards, the room would remain perpetually filthy. Never mind the cockroaches and rats that ran as rampant as pigeons in a park.

How long had they been in here now? Three, four weeks? It was hard to tell how long ago they had been captured in that trap the military police had set up for them. He had told Erwin he didn't have a good feeling about the secret mission they had embarked on.

But both of them knew it was coming sooner or later. Levi had been on edge the last few months ever since Pixis was arrested in the Capital. It was only a matter of time before the old man or someone close to him spilled the beans about the coup they had been planning against the King.

He should have fled with Mikasa while he still had the chance. Instead, he took the coward's way out: slowly but surely severing ties with her so they wouldn't think she was involved. There were many times he wanted to confess to her how he was saving her life—that this wasn't how he wanted things to be between them.

'You did nothing wrong, Mikasa,' he sorrowfully thought. 'You always have been and always will be perfect. I was the one who changed for the worst.'

The stress from keeping such a burden from her had driven him to pick up smoking and drink heavily. Damn, he could use a cigarette right about now.

A cold gust of wind blew through the barred window in the wall to his right. His body shivered all over before he could stop himself. From that same direction, the full moon in the starry sky could be seen and drew his attention. Was that the second one this month?

The last time he had witnessed a blue moon, he had also been entranced by a pair of somber onyx eyes. He could remember his breath hitching in his throat at how radiant her pale skin looked under the silvery light, how soft and captivating her pink lips appeared. It had been the first time he realized that he was falling for her, and that he had been on that path long beforehand.

Now he might never be able to caress her beautiful face, nor press fiery kisses to those lush lips again. That was his one regret throughout all this. After all their planning and preparations for a better tomorrow, he had been forced to give up the one person who was his future. The irony of it all was maddening, and he couldn't help the crazed chuckle that escaped his lips.

Erwin stirred in his mangy bed but luckily didn't awaken. Levi didn't want to explain why he was essentially laughing at the moon. The full moon, and the memory of her crystalline eyes…every time he would see them now, he would be drowned in his remorse.

He lay back on the bench, ignoring the frigidity of the surface. Tomorrow would be their trial. Erwin had devised a fairly far-fetched plan, but it was their only chance at saving their necks. Levi would have to put aside his sorrow, and any other emotion, in order for this to work. The weeks he had been apart from her had done nothing to ease the pain in his heart. But for one day, just for one day, he would have to forget about everything they shared and focus on getting themselves out of this mess. Until then, though, he would wallow in the misery of his regret.

Under the blue, blue moon.


	5. Hope on Trial

#rivamikaweek Day 5 (Violets [Loyalty]): Hope on Trial

Summary: Levi is being court-martialed for treason. Can Mikasa save him despite the heartache he put her through?

* * *

A few slams of a gavel brought silence upon the murmurs throughout the all-too-familiar courtroom. Mikasa continued to wear her unflinching mask of stoicism, unfazed in the least by the reverberating bangs. Just like the last time she was here, she stood with Armin in a section off to the side, only this time Eren was safely with them.

"The trial of Captain Levi and Commander Erwin Smith shall now commence," Supreme Commander Darius Zacklay announced. "Bring in the defendants."

The heavy doors at the back of the courtroom slid open and in marched two pairs of military policemen armed with rifles. Between them walked the unshaven forms of the Survey Corps' highest ranking leaders. Both men had their wrists bound behind their backs with metal cuffs.

Mikasa bit her lip so as not to gasp at Levi's disheveled appearance. He'd done his best to tidy himself up, but without the proper care of his attire, he still looked like he'd just come from a fist fight. Blood stains and scuff marks that he'd never allow on his person dotted his wrinkled uniform. He had obviously not been taken down easily during his capture.

Once they arrived on the elevated marble surface in the center of the room, Zacklay continued, "Levi, Erwin, much as it pains me to say this after all that you've done for humanity thus far, you two stand accused of treason against the governing body you swore allegiance to. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty, Sir," Erwin answered calmly for the both of them.

Mikasa could see Levi's eyes darting around, even though his head remained fixed forward. His steel eyes lingered on her briefly before turning once more toward the front. She could feel her heart skip a beat at his gaze, despite her constant reminders to herself that he no longer cared for her.

The raven-haired girl clenched the fist at her side tighter. No matter how messy their break-up had been, or the emotional stress he'd put her through leading up to it, that didn't change the fact that she was here, now, to save him. He was her Captain after all…and the man she still loved.

* * *

"We shall now call our first witness," announced the Supreme Commander. "Shopkeeper Glinda Taylor, please step forward."

A petite woman with brown hair and blue eyes made her way through the stands reserved for the public. She was directed to stop at the steps that led down to the where the accused stood.

"Miss Taylor, do you recognize the men before you?" boomed the gray-haired man's deep voice.

The woman nodded. "Captain Levi and Commander Smith of the Survey Corps."

"In a previous statement, you confessed you played a messenger role in their plans for the coup against the King. Is this true?"

Levi remained facing forward toward their judge. He braced himself for their inevitable exposure, replaying Erwin's plan in his head. All he had to do was allow her to say her peace and—

"No, Sir," she declared, interrupted Levi's thoughts. "In fact, I would like to retract my statement entirely."

A collective gasp erupted from the audience. The dark-haired man had to catch himself before his own face contorted into surprise. It certainly was unprecedented that someone rescind their testimony during a court martial.

"Silence!" Zacklay pounded a fist on the wooden bench he stood at before turning back to the woman. "Miss Taylor that is an unusual request indeed. Do you mind explaining your actions to the court?"

She shook her head. "I have nothing more to declare, Sir." With that, she returned to her previous spot within the crowd.

'Something is off,' Levi thought to himself, scanning the soldiers to his left. He had noticed none of the Survey Corps members had expressed any indication of shock. Brats like Mikasa and Armin he knew would be hard-pressed to reveal anything, but the others…

He saw a faint smirk appear then quickly disappear on Springer's face. That said it all to him. His squad had done something to the woman, he was sure of it.

Supreme Commander Zacklay nervously cleared his throat. "Our next witness is Captain Wilitz of the Garrison…"

"Sir, if I may," came the voice of a middle-aged man from the stands opposite the room from the Survey Corps. "I also would like to retract any allegations I have made."

The gasps were now followed by outraged cries, especially from the side of the prosecution.

"Order! Everyone settle down!" It took the Supreme Commander several minutes before the courtroom quieted enough for him to call the next witness.

However, one by one, each person he called did exactly the same thing. Even when they brought out the imprisoned Commander Dot Pixis, he too backed down. Unlike the others, he also added that whatever he had declared was the result of coercion from the Military Police.

Finally, there was no one else to request come forward but himself and the blond man next to him. The both of them scrapped all of Erwin's plans and simply acknowledged the veracity of their statements, which essentially was them declaring they had been falsely accused.

After all was said and done, Zacklay had to wipe the sweat from his brow as he concluded, "I do admit, this has been the most unusual court-martial I have led since the trial of Eren Jaeger. Now if everyone has said their peace, I will render a verdict—"

"One moment, Sir!" a man from the side of the prosecution with a goatee and shortly trimmed mustache stood up. "I would like to call one more witness."

Commander Nile Dok… What could the head of the Military Police possibly pull to save his case?

"Proceed," his superior acknowledged.

"The prosecution requests Mikasa Ackerman to step forward." A sly smile crept across Dok's face.

Levi's eyes involuntarily widened. His head turned in her direction before he could stop himself. What did that damned military dog want with her?

He could tell his teenage subordinate was just as startled as he was, even though to the untrained eye she appeared to be calmly making her way to the floor.

For a moment, the entire room seemed to have slipped away from Levi such that it was just him and her on a single plane of existence. Their time apart had only made her onyx eyes all the more beautiful, her porcelain face a rival to any goddess.

"Mikasa Ackerman," Zacklay addressed. "I don't think I need to remind you that everything you answer in this court is automatically considered truth under oath. There is zero tolerance for perjury—do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir," she responded, following with a perfect salute.

"The prosecution may now cross-examine the witness."

A spectacled man who must have been the lawyer for the Military Police took a step forward next to Dok. However, the Commander waved him off, a sign that he wanted to take matters into his own hands.

The leering leader of the MPs slowly strode over to the girl. "Miss Ackerman, it is a known fact that you used to have…close relations with Captain Levi, am I correct?"

She nodded stiffly, but her face betrayed no emotion.

"It is rather unfortunate what happened between you two…or should I say fortunate in light of his current position?"

Levi couldn't help but growl aloud, "Funny, I thought this was a court of law, not a gossip mill, Nile."

"Captain! You are to remain silent until spoken to," scolded Zacklay. He then turned to the current interrogator. "Commander Dok, please get to the point."

The tall man cleared his throat and began to pace around his victim. "I don't know if you are aware, but a more detailed account of the accused's statements includes answers to questions we posed to them shortly after their capture. In it, there was a section relating to their visits to Miss Taylor's shop, which had previously been declared as a site of communications exchange between coup members.

"Now, there seems to be a discrepancy between Miss Taylor and Captain Levi's narratives of an incident which you were a party to. I would like to ask for your help in clearing it up."

"Objection, your honor," Erwin spoke up at his side. "Miss Taylor has already retracted her statement. It should not be used as further evidence—"

"Overruled, Commander Smith," the older gentleman interrupted. "I would like to hear what Dok has to say." He gestured for the man in question to continue.

"According to Miss Taylor, Levi had left you alone in her shop while he went into the back to draft a message for Pixis. The Captain, on the other hand, said that he had merely gone to secretly buy you a birthday present."

Levi tried his best not to visibly stiffen. He knew what Nile was going for now. The young shopkeeper's recount was true, so if he could get Mikasa to reveal even one detail that was different from his…

"So tell me, Miss Ackerman, what was this present he had purchased for you?"

There was none, and the three of them knew it. Mikasa's eyes instantly drifted to Levi's, but she said nothing.

"Come, come, now," Dok goaded. "It's a simple question. I'm sure you'd remember since it was a gift for your most recent birthday from a man you were still seeing at the time."

Levi so wanted to punch the smirk off the man's damned face. He at least nodded ever so slightly such that Mikasa would know this wasn't a trick question, and that he had answered with an object in mind. Levi only hoped that she could figure out which one it was.

* * *

'Shit, shit, shit,' was all that raced through the half-Asian girl's head. They were so close to winning Levi and Commander Erwin's freedom. Even Armin couldn't have seen this coming; they didn't have access to all the trial's evidence after all.

"We're waiting, Miss Ackerman," the Supreme Commander called.

One wrong answer and it was over. Erwin might be spared, but Levi would be retried for perjury. She couldn't let him down, she just couldn't.

Mikasa quickly thought back to that time. She remembered finding it strange when Levi had excused himself to go into the back of that tiny shop, especially since what he had really given her for her birthday night was something quite inappropriate to speak of in public.

She felt a blush creep up on her cheeks at the memory before she realized it. Once she did though, she tried to cover up with, "Apologies, Sir, it's rather embarrassing."

"Really now?" Commander Dok questioned. "I didn't consider it anything of the sort." He again gave a smug smile which she was dying to make disappear.

Think, think, think… She could do this…

"_What was that all about?" Mikasa asked with searching eyes. _

"_Nothing, just something I had to take care of." Levi shrugged off her question then attempted to change the subject. "Find anything you like?"_

_The teenage girl shook her head "no." The shop was full of trinkets and baubles, nothing practical like a pocket knife or a set of hand guards._

_As they made their way out, though, something caught her eye on a table display. Levi must have noticed how her gaze lingered there for longer than two seconds. "Do you want that?" _

_He pointed to a red hair comb. Etched on the top was a golden moon flanked by two pairs of stars. Her mother used to own a few, but Mikasa never cared for such ornaments. "No, thank you though."_

"_You sure? The color suits you."_

_As he reached for the object, she slapped his hand away and snorted, "Yeah, I can just see it now: the woman worth a hundred soldiers, wearing a flashy hair comb."_

_He shot her a glare. "You know, one of these days, I'm going to find something as beautiful as you are and order you to wear it."_

"A red comb," Mikasa stated, looking at Commander Dok in the eye defiantly. By the way his jaw dropped, she knew she had guessed right. "I find that such trifles normally don't suit me, that's all."

The defeated man merely muttered, "No further questions," before sulking back to his corner of the court.

"Thank you, Miss Ackerman, you are dismissed." Zacklay conceded. "Now unless someone else has anything to add, I will now make a decision…"

* * *

Mikasa had unloaded the last of the supplies in front of the Survey Corps headquarters. Not more than five minutes ago, a cadet had run up to her, delivering a message that Captain Levi requested her presence at his chambers as soon as possible.

She had uttered a few curses before sending him on his way. That shorty had two days since he was released with a "not guilty" verdict to say whatever while they traveled back here from the Capital.

Dusting herself off, she made her way through the labyrinth of a castle. She didn't bother wiping off her boots; the clean-freak could deal with it.

The teenage girl went through the motions of knocking on his door before letting herself in. Now that they weren't a couple anymore, it felt weird being in his room again. As she her gaze drifted around, memories flooded back to her, both the good and the painful. The air all of a sudden became stifling. She shouldn't be here, she should just go…

"Mikasa," Levi quietly called from where he sat on the bed, his back toward her. He motioned for her to sit in the chair across from him.

She swallowed hard and stiffly did as he indicated. The man had cleaned himself up a great deal since they had arrived back. His face was freshly shaven, and his uniform gave off the scent of detergent.

"Why did you do it?" he asked in a strained voice, his steel eyes never lifting from the floor since she entered.

"Sir?"

"I know you had something to do with those witnesses."

Without missing a beat, she responded, "You should be thanking Armin then. It was his idea to find out who they would call upon and get to them first." She shifted a bit in her seat while she continued her explanation. "He also did most of the talking when it came to convincing them it was in humanity's best interest to let you walk. I was only there if they needed more persuasion that a conversation or a bribe couldn't settle.

"Commander Pixis was more complicated since he was also in prison. Sasha surprisingly came up with the plan of using carrier pigeons to fill him in on what—"

"You still didn't answer me," Levi snapped, suddenly looking up at her with stormy eyes. "Why did _you_ help me? You should be hating me."

Mikasa sighed and softly uttered, "They would have executed you had you been found guilty. You didn't deserve that fate."

A low chuckle rumbled in Levi's throat. It slowly grew louder until it was a full-blown laugh tinged with madness. "Then tell me, what do I deserve, Mikasa? Because it certainly isn't you."

The girl's onyx eyes widened. "Captain, what are you…?"

"Don't you 'Captain' me. Say my name," he demanded.

"Fine then, _Levi_," she huffed. "I need to go now, and I suggest you see a medic." No sooner had she abruptly stood up when a strong hand caught her wrist.

"Please, stay." She could hear the desperation in his tone.

"Why should I?" Mikasa spat mercilessly. "You're the one that pushed me away. You're the one who stopped loving me." She could feel the hot sting of tears beginning to form.

"I never stopped loving you."

The words hit her like an anvil.

"I only lied like that to protect you." He rose from the bed to stare up into her onyx orbs. "It was only a matter of time before they took me away for being involved in this coup. I didn't want to drag you down with me."

So that's what it was, all those months of "secret missions" and keeping so distant from her…

He gently placed his calloused palm over her cheek. "I never wanted to hurt you. Mikasa, can you ever forgive a bastard like me?"

The raven-haired girl did nothing to stem the flood of tears that streamed from her eyes. Any vindictive thoughts she may have had over the last week were tossed out the window. Words were failing her at the moment, so all she could think to say was "Yes, Levi, yes."

And suddenly his lips were pressed against hers. They drank in each other fully, passionately, until both could no longer breathe. The two lovers parted briefly, panting for air, only to immediately indulge in another fervent kiss. For the rest of the day, no one saw any sign of Captain Levi or Mikasa Ackerman.


	6. Surprise

#rivamikaweek Day 6 (Chrysanthemums [Joy]): Surprise

Summary: Levi has a surprise for Mikasa on their day off together.

A/N: I kinda cheated on this one. This was supposed to be the opening to another fic idea I had in mind.

* * *

"Ready?"

Corporal Mikasa Ackerman performed one last glance-over at their saddle bags before kicking her heels against the dappled horse's sides. She was soon in pursuit of the dark-haired Captain who hadn't given her a chance to respond.

The 19-year-old girl still pondered where he could be taking them to. All he had told her was to pack her bags for a day trip away from the Survey Corps headquarters. Judging by the position of the morning sun, they were riding due east first. The only thing in this direction was Ragako, and the village had long since been abandoned.

Not even an hour into their ride, however, Levi turned northeast without so much as a word. Mikasa bit her lip in deliberation before calling out, "Care to give me a hint where we're going?"

"You'll see," was his barely audible grunt. It was the same answer he had given the last five times she inquired about their destination.

Mikasa gave a frustrated growl. Honestly, why did she fall for this man all those years ago?

It was probably another hour and a half before the older man began to slow his stallion down. In that time, they had passed by a few forests, and now they found themselves in the middle of an expansive meadow. As they rode a bit further, the young woman found that the ground inclined slightly until she could see it ending at the edge of a cliff up ahead.

Levi took this opportunity to dismount and walk his horse the rest of the way. Mikasa could only think to follow suit. About twenty meters away from where the ground disappeared, the stoic Captain stopped his steed and let it feed on a bag of oats. Once again, the raven-haired girl mimicked his actions. She had just finished attaching the feed bag when she felt him take her hand. "This way."

Throughout the trip, the sky had been slightly overcast. Now, as he led her to the top of the incline before the earth fell away, the clouds parted. Waves of sunlight spread over the ground far below them, and Mikasa gasped at the breath-taking view. Her onyx eyes were met with a sea of purple and pink, becoming all the brighter with the clearing of the sky.

Short, raven tresses whipped around her head as she turned to her companion. "It's beautiful," she breathed. Her gaze soon trailed back to stare in amazement at the field of swaying wildflowers.

"They're called chrysanthemums," Levi explained. "This is the closest thing I could find within Wall Rose to those violets you admired as a child."

A pair of arms were soon flung around the shorter man's neck. "I love them." Her awestruck words were soon followed by a set of soft lips pressing against his own. Levi returned the gesture with fervor.

After a few minutes, he broke their kiss and motioned for her to sit down with him on the gravelly edge. "Mikasa, I…" he started. Suddenly finding himself at a loss for what to say, he attempted to restart, "That is, it's been two years since we got back together."

Mikasa couldn't help a grimace at the reminder of their painful break-up, but the memory of their reunion soon brought her back to better spirits.

"So I brought you out here to ask you something…personal…" he continued, his voice wavering and sounding more nervous as he went on. A sweaty palm soon found its way to her own slender hand. Mikasa merely raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like him to not spit out a question to her in his usual blunt manner. "After all this time, I wondered…if you...if we..." Turning his head to the side, he cursed to himself. "Damn Erwin and his ideas."

The raven-haired girl grew more curious by the moment. It's not like they had kept any secrets from each other lately. Hell, they'd even started having sex since then, so it's not like they could get any more intimate with their relationship, unless…

Levi darted a hand into his jacket pocket. After rummaging around for a few seconds, he withdrew something enclosed in a fist and pressed it into Mikasa's open palm. He closed her fingers around the unknown object and abruptly stood up to walk a few steps away, his back now facing her.

Lowering her gaze, the half-Asian girl slowly opened her hand to scrutinize the mysterious gift. A split second later, her onyx orbs went wide. There in the palm of her hand lay a silver ring crowned with a large blood-red gemstone.

She could feel tears begin to form at the edges of her eyes as she snapped her head up to stare at her lover. After about a minute, which felt like an eternity, he glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Marry me, Mikasa."

The butterflies in her stomach transformed into doves, and she could feel herself take flight when she jumped to her feet and pounced on him. Levi turned in time and had to take a step back in order to steady himself against the onslaught of kisses all over his face.

"Yes, Levi," she wept against his shoulder after her initial high had worn off and she now clung tightly to his torso. "A million times yes."

A strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and pressed her body even closer to his. "Thank God. I'd rather slay a dozen Aberrants than have to go through that again."

Mikasa couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips. To think that Humanity's Strongest could kill without batting an eye, but making a simple request from his girlfriend could reduce him to a stuttering fool.

When she finally pulled away, he raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face.

"So, what now, my future husband?" Mikasa smiled, her heart still overflowing with happiness.

"Erwin isn't expecting us to return until tomorrow," he stated. A single finger traced circles over her cheek before trailing down her neck. "I'd say that's long enough to make you scream my name about five times before we have to head back."

A hot blush washed over Mikasa's face. "Dirty old man," she muttered.

"You wouldn't have me any other way," he replied slyly. With that, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to a lush mound of grass.

Something told Mikasa the ride home was going to be quite uncomfortable for her.


	7. Vows

#rivamikaweek Day 7 (Baby's Breath [Family]): Vows

Summary: Levi and Mikasa decide on a last minute change of venue for their wedding.

* * *

The castle housing the Survey Corps headquarters was all a bustle, even more so than it had been for the last week. After all, tomorrow was the wedding of Captain Levi to Corporal Mikasa. Dozens of dignitaries from the Capital had been flocking to this isolated outpost over the last few days. Everyone from the latest set of recruits to all the Squad Leaders were pitching in to help spruce up the old building and decorate it for a ceremony worthy of the King himself.

The only two people who weren't as excited as a mouse in a cheese shop were the bride and groom themselves. Ever since dinnertime, during which they weren't allowed to see each other, they had been locked up in their respective rooms.

Levi sat with his head in his hands at his writing desk, a single candle flickering in the corner of it. The two of them had requested a simple ceremony, with only their friends and select other members of the Survey Corps in attendance. However, as soon as word of their upcoming wedding had reached the Capital, it had become the talk of the town. Every wealthy family and high-ranking official was knocking down Erwin's door for an invitation; the union of humanity's strongest man and woman was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Despite Levi and Mikasa's protests, Erwin had to concede to a few strategic persons, all of whom would ensure the Survey Corps would have enough funding and support for the next century.

"_It's just 50 extra people, Levi," the blond man had tried to reassure him. "And you only have to be civil to them for one day." _

"_So 50 pigs we have to stand up and do tricks for? Will we be showered with doggie treats before or after we say, 'I do'?" he had hotly contested._

Levi stood up abruptly, nearly knocking his chair backwards. He'd had enough. This was their day; they should spend it how ever they wanted.

He threw open his door and stormed down the hallways leading to his fiancée's room. Every well-wisher and overly friendly fool in his path was met with an icy glare.

As he approached his destination, he was stopped by Sasha and Historia, who had charged themselves with guarding Mikasa from being seen by Levi before their wedding day.

"Captain, remember you can't go in there. It's bad luck—"

"Shut it, Braus," Levi snapped. "Mikasa and I need to talk."

Both girls still stood firmly in his way, arms spread in front of her door. "No, it's tradition!" the blond girl chimed in. "You wouldn't want to upset Mikasa by ruining that, would you?"

The slab of wood behind them suddenly opened a crack. "It's okay, guys," the bride-to-be's voice called while still out of sight. "I can still speak to him like this since it sounds important. Can you two give us a moment?"

Sasha and Historia gave each other a look before consenting to Mikasa's request. A minute later, they had disappeared around the corner. Levi made to push the door open and let himself in, but he was met with resistance from the girl on the other side.

"Tradition is tradition, shorty," she slyly commented. "You can stay out there and tell me what's on your mind."

Grumbling, Levi moved over to the wall next to the door and leaned his back against it. Once he got into a comfortable position, he stated, "I can't go through with this."

There was dead silence on the other side.

"I don't mean with marrying you," he quickly clarified. "It's this whole spectacle for the Capital snobs I have a problem with."

"Me too," Mikasa agreed. By the sound of her movements, she had slinked to sit down on the floor. "But it's not like we can call it off now. Everything's all set for tomorrow."

"Who said we were going to cancel it? They can have their fun. We just won't be there."

After taking a second to let the implication settle in, Mikasa scoffed. "That would not go over well for Commander Erwin."

"Screw Erwin," was Levi's instant response. "He could talk his way out of being neck-deep in quick sand."

Mikasa gave a light chuckle, because the both of them knew it was true.

"This is _our _day, not his or theirs or anyone else's. Tell me what _you've_ always wanted to do for your wedding."

It took a few minutes for the raven-haired girl to explore the possibilities. "Well, there are two people I've always wanted to be present for this…"

* * *

The sun had long hovered in the morning sky when the leader of the Survey Corps impatiently knocked on his friend's door. He was already dressed in his finest ceremonial uniform, and he knew the groom would need no help in getting ready with his, so he had left him alone until now.

"Levi, you're late for meeting with Pixis. What's taking you so long in there?" He gave another round of knocks, louder than the first, but there was still no response.

A thought suddenly striking him, Erwin attempted to break down his door. "Levi! Levi! Are you in there?!" With one final kick to the wooden barrier, which gave way, the one-armed man rushed in. "Levi! Levi!" However, he was only met with silence and emptiness.

Searching around the room, he finally spotted an envelope on the impeccably made bed. Erwin picked it up and immediately tore it open with his teeth. He was so focused on scanning the letter within that he didn't hear another person enter.

"Hey Erwin, what's going on?" inquired a glasses-wearing woman. "I heard some really loud noises coming from here."

"Hanji, Levi's gone, and so is Mikasa," the blond mumbled, still skimming through the parchment in his hand.

"Wait, what?!" Hanji scrambled to read over his shoulder.

"_Erwin, by the time you read this, Mikasa and I will have set off for beyond Wall Rose. Enjoy your party without us. You'll find our signed certificate at the altar, so we are already legally married. We just wished to perform our vows elsewhere. I'll gladly face any punishment you dare have in store for me when we come back in a few days._

_Until then, your best friend,  
__Captain Levi"_

"Oh wow, they eloped!" Hanji cried. "How romantic~! Ne, ne, isn't it, Erwin?"

The man had paled and slowly sat down on the bed. In spite of everything, though, he couldn't help the smile that crept across his face.

* * *

It had been over a year since they had sealed off Wall Maria with Eren's help. Because of that, all of their missions since then had been ones to hunt down titans between Walls Rose and Maria, in hopes of eradicating them and reclaiming the land that was once theirs.

Based on last estimates, the titan threat had been 90% cleared, but Mikasa and Levi had taken a set of 3DMG each just in case.

It had taken them a day and half ride to reach their destination via the gates of Chlorba. But at last, Mikasa arrived in familiar territory. Memories of happier times flooded back to her as they made their way to the edge of a forest at the foot of the mountains.

She dismounted from her horse and walked the rest of the way, with Levi trailing not too far behind. In one hand, she tightly clutched her wedding bouquet. There were two gravestones up ahead, not far from a large patch of scorched ground.

Once she was near enough, she knelt down before the pair of gray markers. "Hello, Mother…Father," she greeted in a wavering voice barely above a whisper. "I know it's been awhile since I visited." As if offering an apology, she gently lay the bundle of flowers between the graves.

Levi had stopped a distance away, silently allowing her to take all the time she needed.

"I'm a married woman now," she continued, her eyes falling on the ruby engagement ring that hugged her finger. "To the man they call Humanity's Strongest. I only know him as the one I love, and he loves me as much in return. You would have been proud to call him your son." Tears began to trickle down her cheeks one by one. They dropped gracefully onto the purple petals of the bouquet below. "I wish you could have lived to see my wedding day, but I know the world is cruel. We want to make it up to you by performing our vows where you could see."

With that, she slowly rose to her feet and made her way back to her lover. As soon as she got close enough, he wrapped his strong arms around her in a tight embrace. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked with concern, reaching up to wipe the tears from her face. She nodded silently, which prompted his next question. "You sure you want to go on with this?"

"I am," she stated firmly. Taking his hand, she led him to a nearby clearing. She fondly remembered how her father would come home from hunting through here, when there once was a well-worn path.

Behind them was the former site of her house. Not long after they had retaken Wall Maria, she returned to burn it down, along with the nightmares it held for her. Dr. Jaeger had been kind enough to give her parents a proper burial before she had come to live with them.

Levi placed his other hand on top of hers, shaking her from her reverie. "Wait here a moment." He walked back over to her abandoned bunch of flowers and removed a small sprig of baby's breath. When he returned, he placed it in her hair, balancing it behind her ear. "You deserve to at least have part of your bouquet with you for this."

The dark-haired man then withdrew a box from his jacket pocket. Opening it, he plucked out a silver wedding band and placed it on the girl's finger.

Taking a deep breath, he recited, "Mikasa, with this ring, I vow to love and to honor you. For better or for worse, until my last dying breath, I shall be yours—as your rock, as your friend, and as your faithful partner, always and forever."

With a trembling hand, the young Corporal likewise retrieved the second wedding band and placed it on the older man's finger. "Levi, with this ring, I vow to love you, to honor you. For better or worse, until my last dying breath, I am yours—as your rock, your friend, and your faithful partner. Always and forever."

"Mikasa, do you take me to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do. And do you, Levi, take me to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

As the sun dipped lower into the afternoon sky, casting a reddish hue, the two pulled themselves close and gave each other a long, deep kiss. A strong breeze blew the trees, causing their branches to rustle loudly. It was nature's way of giving them a round of applause.

When they parted, Levi took her arm in the crook of his. Together they marched back to the horses, to ride home as husband and wife.

Back at the graves, a gentle wind blew over the bouquet, stirring the flowers and causing a large gathering of moisture to roll off one of the violets' petals. Bit by bit dripped to the ground, like tears of happiness from the proud parents of the bride.


	8. Battle of Lights

#rivamikaweek Day 8 (Lilies[Freedom]): Battle of Lights

Summary: Tron AU. Enough said.

A/N: Okay, I admit, I haven't watched either Tron or Tron: Legacy in ages, but I wanted to take a stab at this idea, so sorry about any inaccuracies ahead of time. Obviously this one has no relation to any of my other submissions.

* * *

Eren tapped impatiently on one of the many desks in Mikasa's family's basement. "Is it ready yet, Armin?"

His blond friend didn't bother to look up from his holo-tablet to shoot him another annoyed glare. It'd only been two minutes since the last time he asked. "Hang on, I need to put in this last line, or you guys are going to be caught for sure."

Mikasa Ackerman sighed and sat back in the easy chair off to the side. "You sure you don't want to come with us this time, Armin? I don't think you've been yet."

"I think I'll pass," he muttered, still typing away. "The Games are not the place for someone new to the Grid. I'd die in five seconds there."

The raven-haired girl shrugged. "Suit yourself."

It'd been over a century since Mikasa's great-great-grandfather, Sam Flynn, had taken over ENCOM. As CEO, he had greatly increased the public's access to the Grid, and thanks to him, it was now as commonplace as the Internet in his day.

Unfortunately, over the years, it had also become subject to government regulation. For safety reasons, only a select few people with access codes were allowed to digitize into the Grid. Most of them were renowned researchers, but as current CEO of ENCOM, Mr. Ackerman also had access.

A child prodigy herself, Mikasa learned at an early age how to secretly copy her father's code and make a few trips using the digitizing laser in the basement. However, after catching her one day, he significantly stepped up his security. That's where her genius hacker friend, Armin Arlert, whom she met in the city's top school for gifted teenagers, came into play. Not only could he crack her father's security, but he could do it without leaving a trace behind.

"There, finished." With a slide of his finger on the screen, Armin activated his code. He had already warmed up the digitizing laser, so it was ready to go as well. "My program will meet you as soon as you materialize, but you'll have to hightail it to Tron City to make it in time for the start of the tournament."

Eren grinned broadly. "You're talking to one of the fastest light-cyclists on the Grid. I'll make sure to keep your guys' spot warm." That wasn't a baseless claim on his part either. The Ackermans had adopted Eren after Dr. and Mrs. Jaeger, close friends of the family, died in a lab accident. To cope with his grief, the brown-haired boy had turned to gaming on the Grid and soon became one of the best. When he'd found out Mikasa was able to digitize, he was more than eager to join her and experience e-sports like light-cycling and disc fights firsthand.

The adopted brother and sister pair took their place in front of the laser. Their jitteriness of using the device had long ago dissipated as they bravely awaited Armin's flick of a switch.

* * *

The Games they took part in were an unofficial version of the International Light Cycle Tournament, which the best on the Grid competed in. They did this so as not to draw too much attention to themselves, making it less likely someone would find out they were Users illegally. Plus they had the option to remain anonymous in these Games. The only requirement was that their three-person team had a name. Unfortunately, this also meant their competition tended to be a bit lackluster.

Mikasa's team, Shiganshina, named after Eren's hometown, was undefeated for the last two years. The only ones who came close to them were team Titan, which consisted of three friends from her high school.

As they rode up to the Game Arena, they were greeted by her classmates' programs.

"Hey guys, just on time!" called Reiner. Even though the programs were mere digital copies of her friends, she still treated them like they were the real thing. After all, her friends could hear and see what their programs saw over their VR displays at home, in addition to talking through them.

"Yo Reiner, Bertolt, Annie," Eren greeted. "Ready to get your asses handed to you?"

"Always, Jaeger," Bertoldt joined in, giving him a small smile. "Just be careful, I hear some Users snuck in this year."

Mikasa stiffened as she retracted her light cycle.

"Eh, so what?" Eren waved a hand casually. "You guys afraid you can't beat some Users?"

"No, but a User would have a 50 millisecond advantage over my set-up," defended the brown-haired program.

"There you go, blaming lag again." Eren flashed a grin as he pocketed his light cycle baton. He brushed past the trio and made his way to the contestants' area. Mikasa and Armin's program followed not too far behind.

Reiner snorted. "I'm not worried about them, but I do think it's cheating, what with them retaining their original reaction time and all. Plus it's the principle of the matter."

They were almost out of earshot when the female of their group finally spoke up. "Most people think it's one of the new teams that joined this year."

Eren stopped to shrug back at her. "Wouldn't surprise me, but seriously, who cares? We're going to beat them all anyway."

Annie merely stared at him with icy eyes. "There's one team in particular I suspect might be them. You should keep a close eye on them too." Her gaze darted to the side to meet Armin's, as if to tell him to heed her advice if the cocky teenager wouldn't. "Unlike the other newbies, they've refused to socialize."

The green-eyed boy gave a short laugh. "This coming from Ms. Gabfest herself," he shot sarcastically.

Mikasa tugged at her brother's elbow. "Eren, we need to go get registered." She mostly wanted him to drop the subject with their friends before he said too much. Without another word, she practically dragged the teenager away.

"They call themselves the 'Survey Corps,'" Annie shouted her last warning. "Just watch out for them."

* * *

Mikasa recalled her helmet as she entered the observer's deck. They'd just finished their first match, which turned out to be very disappointing. The three of them had crushed their bumbling opponents in under a minute and a half.

It would be at least two more matches before they had to go back down, so she pulled up a seat. Armin and Eren were going to go chat with the other contenders in the meantime. As she took in the view of the expansive arena, she couldn't help be in awe. No matter how many times she did this, it always looked impressive to her.

This arena location was the one her great-great-grandfather had competed in, so it held a special place in her heart. It had been modified numerous times over the decades, though—more ramps, poles scattered in neat rows around the competition floor so they could ricochet their identity discs while riding, tougher barriers protecting the audience… The official Games took place in a much larger venue outside the city, but she couldn't picture herself playing in any place other than this one.

A monitor above her head flashed the next competitors. It was going to be the Titans going up against the Survey Corps. This was going to be that new team's debut match she observed from the "matches played" number below their name.

Intertwining her fingers, and resting her head on them, she watched as they lined up—three light cycles on one side, and three on the other. Her friends would be using blue light ribbons, and their opponents would have yellow. The monitors above the arena would switch to up-close shots of the action once the match started. Mikasa intended on observing these for any signs that they were Users.

Unlike her friends, she didn't care about sniffing them out as cheaters. Since the way to win a match was to derez all your opponents, that would mean she could potentially be derezzing a User. As far as anyone knew, that meant the person would die, and Mikasa didn't want to have blood on her hands over a stupid game.

Most programs had a fail-safe built in whereby if they discovered someone was a User, they would immediately halt attempts at derezzing them. Of course, for some people, that was one more thing for them to try to hack the system and deactivate for kicks.

The surest sign that someone was a User was that they would bleed when injured, unlike a program which broke off digital shards. That's what Mikasa was looking for as the match started.

The contestants began by circling the arena, sizing each other up without activating their light ribbons. Suddenly, one of the riders peeled off at break-neck speed, activating its yellow digital wall. One of the blues likewise pulled away to meet him in the middle. Once they approached close enough, both veered off, now racing parallel to each other.

Judging by the close-up of the Titan cycle, Mikasa could tell that was Bertolt's program down there. He was the fastest on their team, but it looked like he was having a heck of a time keeping pace with the Survey Corps member. With an impossible new burst of speed, the yellow cyclist shot ahead and turned to trap him in a light wall. Her friend couldn't have possibly reacted fast enough, and he crashed into the barrier, derezzing into a million pieces.

Mikasa's onyx eyes widened. This new person had made one of their closest rivals look like an amateur.

In the meantime, the other two yellows had teamed up to give chase to Annie's cycle. She was definitely giving them a run for their money. The blond knew how to utilize the ramps and had mastered flipping her cycle over barriers to avoid running into them.

Her opponents soon realized they would have to use their identity discs if they wanted to stand a chance at catching her. One of the yellows that had a feminine figure threw hers out, letting it bounce off a pole and speed right for her. Luckily, or maybe just like Annie had planned, she dipped down a ramp in the nick of time.

Before the thrower had a chance to retrieve her weapon, Reiner's disc flew in from the side. With nothing to defend herself with, the yellow rider could only duck, almost losing control of her cycle. Her quick recovery was amazing, though, and she was soon back in action, identity disc in hand. But now Reiner was her target.

It almost looked like Annie was in the clear with only one rider left on her tail. But soon enough, Speedy joined in the chase with his buddy. It didn't take them long with a set of coordinated disc throws to make her skid off her cycle. Her original pursuer deactivated his vehicle and stalked over to her, his weapon in hand. His swift comrade rode off to help neutralize Reiner.

Mikasa almost smiled knowingly to herself. Annie was one of the best martial artists in the school. She'd even trounced Mikasa a few times. This guy didn't know what he was getting himself into.

Annie was quick to her feet, disc in hand as she put her fists up in her signature battle stance. Sizing her up, her opponent merely strode around her with his arms poised, ready for anything.

It was the blond who made the first move. She threw out lightning quick slashes with the disc. There was enough force behind each blow to crumble any program on contact. However, the Survey Corps fighter was just as fast, blocking each attack with ease.

After an exchange of kicks, blocks and more slashes between the two, it was soon clear that they were on the same level as each other. For the first time, Mikasa was impressed with a competitor here that she didn't know personally.

Another series of attacks was launched by Annie, but this time, she at least managed to land a cut on the enemy's upper arm. A few digital shards were seen scattering from the wound.

The raven-haired girl let out a sigh of relief. Good, he wasn't a User after all.

Even though the cut was superficial, this seemed to anger the Survey Corps program. With a growl, he came at her, his attacks somehow faster than all his previous ones and with more fury behind them. Annie couldn't even hope to defend herself from this new onslaught. Utilizing a powerful slash, he cut off the arm from the elbow down that clutched her disc. Now that she was defenseless, he proceeded to cut off her other arm, then slice through her legs one by one.

Mikasa involuntarily gasped at his cruelty.

Annie's program fell onto her back, still barely functioning. The victorious program silently loomed over her for all of a minute. With a flick of the wrist, he launched his identity disc point blank at her helmeted face, derezzing her instantly.

The teenage girl in the observation deck was surprised to find herself shaking. For the first time in years, she was having second thoughts about coming to the Grid.

* * *

"Oh my God, Mikasa did you see that?!" Eren practically screamed as soon as she joined them. "Those Survey Corps guys beat the Titans without losing a single member."

Mikasa quietly nodded her head. "Yeah, I saw." Raising her gaze to the only program of their trio, she exchanged a solemn look with him.

Armin must have been thinking the same thing she had been. "Eren, listen. If we want to stand a chance of keeping you guys alive, you'll need to follow my plan…"

* * *

Much to Eren's dismay and chagrin, he had to hide his true speed for the rest of their matches. No doubt the Survey Corps was watching their every move just like they were watching theirs.

The final round came soon enough, with them facing the team they had been dreading.

"You guys can still back out, you know," Armin's program walked up beside her as they stood before the entrance to the arena.

"Eren would never be able to live it down," Mikasa replied quietly. The boy in question stood a few feet ahead of them.

"At least you would be alive."

His words gave Mikasa pause. After a moment, she declared, "We'd be spending the rest of our days wondering 'what if.' That's not the kind of life either of us would want to live."

Armin sighed. "Okay, but if things get bad, promise me you'll reveal yourself as a User. It might be the only way to save you."

The half-Asian girl nodded. "Let's get this over with." Her helmet materialized over her head on command. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins, her hands already feeling clammy in anticipation. Reaching over to her belt, she withdrew her baton.

When the three of them stepped out into the arena filled with a screaming audience, they all split their rods in unison, activating their light cycles. For this match, they would be blue, and their opponents would be yellow.

As the electronic announcer recited each of the team names, the crowd's cheers turned from loud to deafening. A nod to her friends later, they were riding out to their starting positions.

'Just stick to the plan, stick to the plan,' Mikasa repeated in her head. 'You can do this; it's just another match.' But deep down inside, she knew that wasn't true. She'd been studying her opponents as closely as Armin had. Sure she had a better idea of their moves and their styles of fighting, but she also had realized how dangerous they really were. From what they could tell, none of them were Users, so there was no reason to hold back.

But that one guy, the cruel one, lingered in her mind. Even though his friend was faster, he was no turtle himself. He was clearly the the disc fighting expert of his group too, just like she was. His moves were skilled, she had to admit, ones that must have been honed by years of training, or at least remarkable programming, but there was seemed to be a barely contained rage in them as well.

The blaring signal to start brought her back to the present. As usual, they started off riding in a circle around the perimeter, although it seemed pointless as both teams had already sized the other up via watching the previous matches.

It wasn't long before Armin broke formation, racing as fast as his light cycle could go. Just as he predicted, Speedy gave chase. Based on the other bouts, this team's usual strategy was to send him to take out the fastest on the opposite team then slowly pick off the others. Mikasa and Eren would focus on eliminating the female member in the meantime.

The duo were quick to trap her between their two light cycle paths. Suddenly, an identity disc whizzing past Mikasa's head grabbed her attention. The third member of the group was soon riding parallel to her on the side opposite to his companion's. Now that she got to see him helmeted face to helmeted face, she noticed he was shorter than he looked on all the screens.

Realization quickly dawned on Mikasa once she noticed their positions, the four of them riding parallel in alternate streaks of blue and yellow. While Armin's plan had been for them to trap and eliminate the female, the Survey Corps had a similar idea—to target herself.

Two flying discs were inbound for her head, both being thrown by the female rider after she caught Shorty's. Mikasa had no choice but to break formation. Jumping with the cycle and throwing all her weight to one side, she forced it to flip over Shorty and his light wall. The teenage girl veered off at a 90 degree angle before they could launch another attack.

Catching his disc, Shorty immediately followed after her. "Hanji! This way!" He shouted over his shoulder. The female rider was about to turn and join him when Eren's cycle sped up and flashed his blue wall right in front of her. Hanji cried in shock as she crashed into the light barrier and completely derezzed.

"Got ya!" Eren cheered victoriously before zooming off to help his sister.

* * *

As Armin raced down his own path, he calculated that Eren should have blown his cover by now. He knew his friend hated riding at only 50% of his potential but it would pay off if they could at least take down one of these guys.

Now it was his turn to try to eliminate one on his own. Armin had told his other teammates that he only planned on being a distraction. That was the first time he'd ever had to lie to them concerning a battle strategy.

He noticed Speedy making the slight movement of his hands to put on the extra boost to his light cycle. The blond took a deep breath. This was it.

In an instant, Armin veered off at a 45 degree angle. The speed demon noticed this a second too late and clumsily made his cycle turn 90 degrees to pursue him.

Steady, steady…

Out of the corner of his eye, Armin noticed his opponent closing in on him. Judging by the guy's velocity compared to his own… the teenager ran the calculations quickly and then began to count down the seconds.

3, 2, 1…

Instead of letting Speedy have a chance to ride parallel to him again, Armin turned his cycle abruptly in the yellow rider's direction. The Survey Corps member was likely not expecting a suicide maneuver.

In a brilliant explosion of blue and yellow, both contestants collided, instantly derezzing the both of them.

Back in Mikasa's basement, Armin threw the VR visor off his head. Panting heavily, the blond collapsed to his knees on the electronic floor. He could only hope this gave his friends a better chance of surviving the battle.

* * *

Shorty had to be the most annoying opponent she had ever faced. Even with Eren helping her, he was easily outmaneuvering both of them. At one point, she could have sworn she heard a deep laugh coming from his helmeted face.

As time passed, it was getting hard to tell who was hunting whom. One quick glance across the arena told her that the three of them were the only participants left, so clearly they should be the predators and him the prey. But there were numerous times he would completely ignore her and focus on trying to knock Eren off with his identity disc. Even though her brother was too quick now that he could ride at his full potential, Shorty was relentless.

However, the inevitable eventually happened. While Mikasa was recovering from a double whammy of recovering her disc while dodging an ill-timed throw from Shorty, their opponent practically threw his light cycle at Eren's and made a rolling land to safety.

The emerald-eyed boy was caught off guard and barely managed to launch himself off his ride in time before the other vehicle smashed into his.

* * *

With a groan, Eren tried to get up, but his body ached all over, and his ears were ringing. When he could at least manage to lift his head up, he was met with a kick to his helmeted face. He gave a yelp of pain as he was sent rolling backwards.

"Eren!"

He could hear Mikasa's voice distantly echoing within the arena. He was too disoriented to figure out even which direction it came from. Not that that was important considering the figure standing ominously over him.

The next thing he knew, there was a searing jolt of pain coming from his leg. Eren screamed in agony, nearly blacking out. His vision was beginning to become hazy, but he could make out the glowing identity disc in his opponent's hand…and it was dripping with his own blood.

"User…" the other hissed, venom clearly in his voice.

Eren could hear the sound of a light cycle being retracted and footsteps running over to them.

"Program," Mikasa yelled, desperation in her voice. "Stand down. Yes, he's a User, so face me. I'm your opponent now."

The short figure slowly turned his head in her direction and uttered in a chillingly low voice, "Death to all the Users."

As he raised his identity disc to give Eren a fatal blow, Mikasa ran over and tackled the humanoid to the ground. As they fought in disc-to-disc combat, the dark-haired boy could feel himself slipping in and out of consciousness. With his last remaining strength, he reached for the ring of light on his back and launched it at his attacker's back.

* * *

He was fast, inhumanly fast. Mikasa now knew how Annie must have felt fighting this guy. She too soon found herself in a stalemate with him. As she leapt back and pondered her next attack, she noticed something flying up from behind him: Eren's identity disc.

However, without even a single glance backward, Shorty easily caught it. He now brandished two identity discs to fight her with.

'Shit!' Mikasa thought.

With renewed vigor, the last remaining member of the Survey Corps launched himself at her. Mikasa did her best to fend him off, but she found she could only be on the defensive while he was like this. Since he had two weapons now, he left no openings for her to attack.

Flash after flash, each disc crashed down on her own. The blows seemed to only grow stronger. His persistent attacks soon took their toll on her, and she barely registered him delivering a sweep kick to her legs, knocking her onto her back. A disc was soon hovering in front of her throat.

"Any last words?" he hollowly asked her.

Mikasa merely closed her eyes and lifted her chin up. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing her beg for her life.

"No…" she could hear a faint voice crack in the distance. "Mika…sa…" Her onyx eyes fluttered open in time to see her brother pass out not too far from them. He had crawled over, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Mikasa desperately wanted to rush over to him, to lift him into her arms and run away to the nearest point they could beam out of this godforsaken world.

But a sadistic shorty literally stood in her way. Only, now he had dropped the disc he had previously been threatening her with.

He still loomed over her, but his head was tilted to the side, as if examining her. "Show me your face," he commanded.

"What?" was the first word out of her mouth as she looked up at him dumbfounded.

"Show me your face," he enunciated more slowly this time, as if she didn't understand his language.

Still confused, she made her helmet disappear, letting her dark tresses fall around her face.

He instantly took a step back at the sight of her. "Mikasa…" he breathed. "So it really is you."

Now that she had a better listen, his voice did sound strangely familiar. "Who are you?" she cautiously asked.

The program bit by bit retracted his own helmet.

Mikasa's eyes widened in recognition. "…Levi?" the teenage girl gasped.

He looked from her to Eren then back to her. She swore she could see a hint of sorrow in his eyes. "A life for a life," he whispered. Flicking a button on his wrist, he sent the signal that he was forfeiting the match.

Sirens blared, and she could see the screens behind them declaring Shiganshina's victory.

Snatching the baton from her waist, he walked then ran away from her. Once he was far enough, he activated the light cycle and disappeared out of the arena.

And out of her life, again. Memories swirled around in her head, of the first time she entered the Grid as a young child. Of when she met an ISO named Levi, the last of his kind. And of how she saved him from the Users.

* * *

A/N: Phew, that's a wrap! If anyone's interested in me continuing the storyline from any of these submissions, drop me a review on FFN. I can't guarantee I'll have time to continue them, but it'll at least tell me what I should be focusing on.


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